We offer suggestions for arts lovers to discover (and re-discover) established and emerging artists, musicians and performers in and around Delaware. Although we particularly like to celebrate smaller arts organizations and individuals, we cover nearly anything that strikes us or that we feel you should know about. Periodically, we welcome guest bloggers and artists to join us.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Justice Prevails in the Delaware Theater Company’s production of "The Exonerated"

Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen's gripping play The Exonerated explores the unjust
treatment six individuals experience with the US legal system. Brilliantly
intertwining multiple true stories about individuals who were wrongly charged
for murder and sentenced to death, The
Exonerated is a 90-minute play that captivates from beginning to end. With
a stark tiered set, director David Bradley puts the focus on his actors and the
stories they are sharing.

Majority of the play is made up of soliloquies by the
ensemble cast. David Alan Anderson, Megan Bellwoar, Akeem Davis, Anthony
Lawton, Frank X, and William Zielinski portray the incarcerated characters,
along with Tom Byrn, Dan Hodge, Aime Donna Kelly, and Susan Riley Stevens who play
various roles, including police officers and spouses of the convicted individuals.
Great sympathy is felt for the convicted as they express the sorrow for time lost
with their children and loved ones, and
knowing the real murderers are free
while they endure imprisonment.

The entire cast gives exceptional performances. Using only chairs as props, the actors have the great task of keeping the audience engaged,
which they all successfully accomplish. Not needing a set, the actors fill the
stage with their moving stories, which reveal the flawed practices within our
justice system and the harsh realities of life in prison.

The previous production I saw of The Exonerated had the cast sitting in a row of chairs reading the
script, similar to DCT’s wonderful production of Love, Loss, and What I Wore. However, Mr. Bradley has his actors
moving and at times interacting in small scenes. (Only Mr. X wasn’t able to
participate in the interaction with his fellow actors. Unfortunately, he fell
when exiting the raised stage the day before the performance I attended; leaving
him injured. Being a real professional, Mr. X sat in a chair on the side of the
stage performing his role as an 18-year-old African-American man who was
convicted for a murder based on the color of his skin.) Having the actors in
motion added a new element to the play that brought it to life. This production
feels complete rather than just a reading.

The Exonerated runs through March 9, at The Delaware Theatre
Company. Visit www.delawaretheatre.org or call 302.594.1100 for additional
information and to purchase tickets.

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Delaware Arts Info Contributors

Michelle Kramer-Fitzgerald, creator & manager. Originally from Pittsburgh and a die-hard Penn Stater, Michelle is the Owner of Arts in Media, a Delaware-based arts promotion firm, which launched this blog in June 2009. She enjoys and tries to support every genre of Arts. In her (rare) spare time, she loves to read, cook and occasionally, paint. She lives in Wilmington with her husband, Scott, puppy Eli and previously, Dewey the Art Dog.